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Fortunately they tack the amount on to what I’m charging so it’s directly passed on to the guest.
The process of getting us legal was a pain but it gives me peace of mind that I won’t be slapped with fines down the road, especially with a paper trail that DC can latch on to.
If you can get yourselves legal in Palm Springs, I highly recommend it.
I’ve seen some Airbnb listings that said something like that, such as “say you are my friend” or “say you are my cousin” blah, blah blah, how long can they get away with that? If they’re in an apartment or in an HOA, someone from management would catch on. If the host gets many bookings…then someone would wonder “how many friends/cousins could they have?”
These are the listings I stay away from!
Air guests are easy to spot!
We’re not a substitute for a hotel and frankly, I am insulted when guests behave as though we are.
For starters, we are cleaner than a hotel. I spend at least two hours between guests. The bathroom is always scrubbed, floors are always washed, dishes inspected and washed if needed, same with windows, refrigerator and everything else.
And the linens are always fresh. This is not the case in a hotel.
We are worth more than a hotel but we do charge a little less, that’s true.
We got into this because we bought a rental house with suites in it and I realized that what people like us need the most is a place to stay when they are traveling to do creative work. I have always telecommuted, my husband and I are both career journalists. When you are traveling for work, you need a home base that is more comfortable than a hotel and at the same time, less formal.
We’ve relied on sublets in the past but they’re inconsistent at best. In Austin one year, I had to buy sheets, towels, pots and pans for a three month stay - totally uncool.
So here we are, all set for what I’m told is the normal way people will work in the future. And the future just hasn’t caught up with us so we have people on holiday, people coming to see the leaves - wedding guests (which are the worst - I frigging hate hosting wedding guests.) and so on.
We are entirely legit. We are better than a hotel. Airbnb was started as a flop house, I get that, but there is a need for much more than that and we are aiming to fill that need.
We may convert to an “artist’s residency” even though the pretentiousness of that annoys the crap out of me, buy we need to find a way to get the message across that we are not your mom and not your local Holiday Inn either.
And we are legal. Even our insurance is commercial and our house is taxed as an apartment house.
Obviously NOT. Everyone just wants the most for themselves it’s how America was founded!
I actually don’t think most guests think about it. Until I started hosting I had no idea the ins and outs and the legalities - I’m just now getting fully legal. Yes, I knew that subletting isn’t usually allowed, HOA may have rules against it etc etc but I I had no idea how much Air had spread - I really thought it was still primarily homeowners renting our their personal space.I didn’t realize there were laws around that and requirements for insurance etc… Naive and possibly a bit obtuse - absolutely… !
The AirBnB we stayed at in Paris a few months ago is no longer listed. It was most likely illegal and I had no idea. I did feel a bit uncomfortable because the main door to the complex had a keypad on it and our host gave us the code. I remember remarking to my boyfriend that if I was an owner/tenant in the building I would not be happy with that…
And cheaper 
…which is why AIrbnb works for so many of these new freelancer types who don’t get a per diem and can’t afford to stay at the Holiday Inn. I get lots of them who come into town for a job. They want cheap and comfortable, and a work station.
Do you have your listings shown as business friendly?